Watch-case spring



(No Model.)

T. K. BENTON.

WATCH CASE SPRING.

No. 430,824. Patented June 24, 1890.

Fiy Z.

- WITNESSES INVENTO'R Qkfl a/1M flflm ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS K. BENTON, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEWV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE COURVOISIER, IVILOOX MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEV YORK.

WATCH-CASE SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,824, dated June 24, 1890.

Application filed February 20, 1890. Serial No. 341,119. (No model.)

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS K. BENTON, residing in Bloomfield, Essex county, New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vatch- Case Springs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lock and fly springs for watch-cases; and it has for its object to facilitate the insertion of said springs into the watch-case.

The invention consists in the novel details of improvement and the combination of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein Figure l-is a partly-broken face view of a watch -c ase containing my improvements. Fig.- 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same; and Figs. 3, i, and 5 are detail views of my improvements, more fully hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates a portion of a watch case, and B is its stein.

D is a lock or fly springthat fits within the case A and holds the watch-cover (not shown) closed or open. The spring Dis curved to conform to the curve of the case A, and it has secured to it a back piece E. Screws a, that pass through the case A and enter the back piece E, hold the latl er, and thereby the spring D,wit.hln the case A. To place the spring D into position in the case A, it should bent or its ends moved toward each other (as in full lines, Fig. 4) to shorten the arc to permit its free entry. If the back piece E were one continuous piece of metal secured to the spring I), said spring could not be properly bent, and therefore to place the spring 1) within the'case would require much exertion and danger-of scratching or injuring the case. To overcome this dilliculty, I sever or separate the back piece E, preferably about midway of its length, as at b, as clearly shown in the drawings. The inner or severed parts of the back piece E are free or disconnect-ed from the spring 1), (see Fig. 4,) which wlleaves the spring D free to bend opposite tho-severed part b of the back piece E. The back piece E at or near its outer ends may be secured to the spring D by rivets 0r solder.

When the spring 1) is bent to insert it in. the case A, the severed ends Z) of the back piece E move outward slightly, as in Fig. 4., which gives freedom to the springD in bending.

When the spring D is to be placed in the case A, it is first bent, as in Fig. 4, to shorten the are or reduce the size of the spring, the inner severed ends of the back piece E permitting the bending of the spring, as before stated. The spring is then passed into the case A, and as the arc of the spring is now less than the arc of the case A it is free to enter the same. The ends of the springs are now relcasechwhen it will expand to its proper size, and thus fit snugly within the case A. The screws a being next passed into the back piece E, the spring will be firmly held in the case.

Springs constructed according to myinvention can be placed in the case with much greater speed and case than where a continuous back piece is used, said latter back piece being so stiif as to prevent the spring D bending to permit its easy and quick insertion in the case. The stem 15 in Fig. 2 is shown connected to the end of the lock-spring D, as usual. Th efiy-spring is also to be constructed as before stated.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. The spring D, combined with the back piece E, secured to the same at certain points and separated transversely between its ends and disconnected from the back piece near its separated parts, substantially as described.

2. The spring D, combined with the back piece E, that is secured to the spring D near its outer ends and disconnected therefrom at its central part, substantially as described.

3. The spring D, combined with the back piece E, that is secured thereto and separated or severed as at I), substantially as described.

THOMAS K. BENTON.

Witnesses:

GEo. W. Wnicox, T. F. BOURNE. 

